Hockey head protector



P 7, 1965 L. M. CHILD 3,204,251

110cm: HEAD PROTECTOR Filed July 51. 1964 INVENTOR Lawrence M 6% Mai 5v i I 4 T TOENE Y5 United States Patent Office 3,2043% Patented Sept. 7, 1965 3,204,251 HOCKEY HEAD PROTECTOR Lawrence M. (ihild, Brantford, Ontario, Canada, assignor to A. G. Spalding 81 Bros. of Canada Limited, Brantford, Ontario, Canada Filed July 31, 1964, Ser. No. 386,791 Claims priority, a plication Canada, Apr. 9, 1964, ss9,924 Elaims. (Cl. 2-3) This invention relates to a sport helmet.

In some of the sports, particularly rugby, safety requires that a helmet be worn. Recently there has been a demand for hockey helmets.

Helmets to be used particularly by hockey players, the fastest sport known, must be strong but as light as possible. The helmet should also be as comfortably tight as possible on the players head, since a loose helmet to some extent may mitigate against the free and full exercise of the players skill; or if the helmet is too tightly held on the head by means of the usual straps, then the player experiences some degree of discomfort which reflects on the quality and excellence of his playing of the game.

Thus, ideally, helmets should be available in a fairly large assortment of sizes, but economy does not, at least at this time, permit of this. However, the purpose which would be served by providing a large assortment is met in many cases by providing a helmet which, while of a given width, is adjustable as to over-all length and as to longitudinal cross-section.

The principal object of the invention, therefore, is to provide saafety helmet which is made of two complementary sections and such sections are relatively adjustable so as to adapt the helmet to heads of different longitudinal cross-sections.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable helmet which is quickly adjustable without requiring special tools to accomplish the adjustment.

A still further object is to provide a helmet which is lightweight yet offers maximum protection and which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various figures,

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the helmet with its two complementary parts releasably secured in one particular relative position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 but showing the two complementary parts or sections of the helmet in a dilferent relative position;

FIG. '3 is a longitudinal section of the helmet with the two complementary sections in still another relative position; and

FIG. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Referring now by numerals to the drawings, and 11 show the two complementary skull portions or sections of the helmet, 10 being the forward or forehead-engaging section and 11, the rear section, that is, the section engaging the rear or back of the head or skull.

The two complementary sections 10 and 11 are releasably locked together within a certain range of predetermined relative positions, limited by the disposition-spacing and lengthof two parallel slots 12 and of a slot 13 made, respectively, through the sides of the section 10 and the sides of the section 11. The sides of the front or forward section 10 are spaced farther apart than the corresponding, co-engaging or co-acting sides of the rear section 11, so that the rear section 11 telescopes or is received into the forward section 10. The slots 13, made through the sides of the section 11, are longer than the length of the slots 12 and are disposed at an angle thereto.

The two sections of the helmet are releasably locked together in various relative positions by means of devices 20 of conventional design, such as one having a slotted head from which extends a threaded shank 22, the shank threading into a hollow nut 23, all as best seen in FIG. 4.

As will be readily apparent, one section of the helmet is moved or adjusted relatively to the other by loosening the fastening devices 20 and subsequently tightening such means when the two sections have been disposed in their intended relative position.

One section may be adjusted relatively to the other in a vertical direction, that is, say, the forward section 10 may be raised bodily with respect to the other complementary section 11. Or, the two complementary sections may be longitudinally moved apart or brought closer together by shifting the forward section relatively to the section 11, the fastening devices, carried by the forward section 10 sliding in the elongate slots 13 formed through the side walls of the section 11. Or again, one section may be rotatably adjusted relatively to the other.

To the inside face of each of the two complementary sections 10 and 11 are adhered sponge rubber strips or pads. F or instance, a pad 23 is adhered to the front wall of the forward section 10 and extends laterally say, over an arc such that the front of the forehead and side areas of the head are engaged, not by the helmet proper, but by this pad. Similarly, a pad 24 is provided on the rear wall of the rear section 11. Also, strips 25 and 26 are provided on the upper walls of the two sections 10 and 11, respectively. -Also, strips 27 are adhered to the side walls of the section 11.

As will be clearly seen, the helmet of the invention is adapted to be adjusted within a given range, to fit the longitudinal cross-section of the wearers head.

I claim:

'1. A safety helmet comprising two complementary, cooperating forward and rearward head-encompassing sections of relatively stiff material, said sections having side walls, said side walls having slots therein, one such section being received within the other section to permit of their relative displacement in a vertical plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the helmet thereby to modify the effective longitudinal cross-section of the helmet better to fit the helmet to the wearers head, and means, including fastening means passing through the slots in the side walls of said sections, for releasably locking said sections in selected relative positions.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein the slots on the respective sections are angularly disposed.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said fastening means includes threaded connectors passing through said slots and holding said sections in selected locked relationship.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein resilient pads attached to inside areas of said sections provide contact between the wearers head and opposite ends of the helmet.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein resilient pads attached to inside areas of the side walls and end walls of said sections provide contact between the wearers head and the helmet.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,370,453 3/21 Kolgour 248298 2,861,272 ll/58 Stuart et al. 26 3,087,166 4/63 Howard 2-3 3,105,240 10/63 Jansson 2-3 3,107,356 10/ 63 Pestronk et al 2-3 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SAFETY HELMET COMPRISING TWO COMPLEMENTARY, COOPERATING FORWARD AND REARW%ARD HEAD-ENCOMPASSING SECTIONS OF RELATIVELY STIFF MATERIAL, SAID SECTIONS HAVING SIDE WALLS, SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING SLOTS THEREIN, ONE SUCH SECTION BEING RECEIVED WITHIN THE OTHER SECTION TO PERMIT OF THEIR RELATIVE DISPLACEMENT IN A VERTICAL PLANE PASSING THROUGH THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE HELMET THEREBY TO MODIFY THE EFFECTIVE LONGITUDINAL CROSS-SECTION OF THE HELMET BETTER TO FIT THE HELMET TO THE WEARER''S HEAD, AND MEANS, INCLUDING FASTENING MEANS PASSING THROUGH THE SLOTS IN THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID SECTIONS, FOR RELEASABLY LOCKING SAID SECTIONS IN SELECTED RELATIVE POSITIONS. 